All Comments for: Stations of the Cross — Without the Cross | Christianity Today

Free Newsletters:

RSS Feeds |

Audio |

Twitter

Home > 2008 > March (Web-only)

Christianity Today, March (Web-only), 2008 |

Stations of the Cross — Without the Cross

Episcopalian liturgy for Stations of the Millennium Development Goals truncates the gospel, critics say.

Susan Wunderink | posted 3/06/2008 10:00AM

In this season of Lent, many Christians in liturgical traditions have been meditating on the Stations of the Cross, a series of events — biblical and traditional — depicting the story of Jesus' ...

[Reader Reviews]

Average User Rating:

Rate and Comment on this article

Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 comments.

Page: 1

Show All

Anita

Posted: March 07, 2008 9:29 PM


How sad that such a distorted view of a church devotion is being misused. To reduce the death of Jesus to such a low estate is nothing less than sacriligious. Whoever thought that one up needs to re-think their role in Christianity.

Dave N.

Posted: March 07, 2008 4:47 PM

Sadly, Humphrey doesn't seem to recognize the words of the song "God has no hands..." as a paraphrase of a famous prayer of St. Theresa of Avila. It is not that God doesn't have the power to intervene into a world of hunger and suffering, but that he has amazingly left the daunting task up to us. Christians (especially Evangelicals) have misinterpreted, read around or just ignored Matthew 25 for too long. Doing the Stations of the Cross is a beautiful Lenten practice but if we conveniently and comfortably confine Christ's work in history, we've missed the boat.

LOVETHELAW

Posted: March 07, 2008 10:55 AM

I read this article, because I wondered if it would be what about what I thought; another desacration, of sacred Christian religous worshilp. I will admit, that I am not Episcopalain, but arn't The stations a way of reflection, about what Christ did on the Cross, for mankind. Arn't they a way,of internalizing his death, and reserection. I am not oposed to trying to save the world, and releiving suffering whenever, and where ever I can, but can't those things be discused in a special class, for people interested in christian service. You could have Faith in action events. What I think is that we must not reduce the sacred, by turning it into a project no matter how good intentioned it may be. There must be a place, for the Holy to be preserved.

grandma

Posted: March 07, 2008 10:27 AM


As to station 4 - how many members of this denomination are appearing at the abortion clinics during the '40 Days for Life' prayer vigils. There are 9 days left to join in. If you really want to save children, let's start with the unborn being murdered every day in this country. It is a much more Godly way to observe Lent.

John D

Posted: March 07, 2008 10:07 AM

Why be surprised? The Epicopal "church" isn't a church anyany. It's a decaying, though once mainline collection of decent, devout people who have been hijacked. Now it is a collection of disparate, lost souls , many of whose Anglican brothers are eager to reenter the Catholic Church where they truly belong. Leave your homsexual, women "clergy" ridden , dying "church" and come home to Rome! Yes, we have our serious problems too, but the reasons for all our collective religious problems in this age are too deep and sinister to comprhend without serious investigation and study...

Jim M. Roane, PhD

Posted: March 07, 2008 10:06 AM


As if walking around in a circle has any efficacy about it, except meditation. So, I say, what difference does it make as long a the Spirit of Christ is present?

Sarah

Posted: March 07, 2008 9:24 AM

It seems clear from the article (see Angell's comment) that these were never intended to be used to replace meditation on the Cross. As a way of seeing Christ alive and at work in the world today, in the fullness of saving action - soul and body - I think they might be a good addition as we meditate on the ways we offer our whole lives to God. If our relationship with God isn't deepened through prayer and doesn't flow from that into action, what kind of love are we showing? How is God alive in us? As an Episcopalian, I do not feel pushed to give up the Cross simply because I am encouraged to go forth and learn how to embody the love and mercy I have been shown. There will be those who do misuse it, forgetting the soul in caring for the body, just as there are also those who forget the Incarnation by turning faith in Jesus into something that has no impact on the way we live in relation to others. That doesn't mean we have to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

robert

Posted: March 07, 2008 6:38 AM

As an ordinary person I feel my views may be a surprise to people.First is it right to practice the stations of the cross during lent season and second why the church has instituted the practice of Lent itself. So what the chruch says that for 40 days we should live a very holy life practise the way of the cross , abstain from all our desires and material wants and once Easter comes and goes all bust out like bombs for having bottled our secret feelings for 40 days. and go on living the same old life till another Lent season arrives. Christ suffered and died on the cross and shed His precious blood for us.He rose up on the third day and is alive for all eternity to comeThere is no need for us replay (lent) for all generations.The BIBLE says very cleary what we should do to inherit the kingdom of heaven.Do that and the world will become a better place to live. Now let the people decide for themselves and the MDG decide about the stations of the cross.

Fr. Lynn

Posted: March 06, 2008 5:42 PM


Was this 'devotion' meant to displace the traditional stations or to be something in addition to the traditional form? The answer to that question makes for me a great difference. I an always use from time to time new devotions but NOT in place of all that h as gone before.

Geoff

Posted: March 06, 2008 5:38 PM

There are many parishes in the Episcopal Church. I attend one of them, and have attended others. One of the wonderful parts of our liturgical life is the diversity that makes it up. If the malcontents find this particular observation of the Stations to be not to their taste, surely they can find a parish where the practice is what they like. Whatever their titles and credentials, the critics sound like silly, self-important cranks to me.

Gary	Posted: March 06, 2008 2:38 PM

As an Episcopalian in a liberal parish I have found many in my parish who think this 'guide' is offensive and worthless. Most members who seek spiritual lessons during Lent find it outside the Episcopal church through other worship books and meditations. While I love my church I do find that we have a lot of theological ignorant people in high places who seem to go out of their way in diminishing our beliefs.

Page: 1

E-mail this page

Write CT

Print this article

Post a comment